The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-21
A REMARKABLE PBRFoRMANCE.
julius Caesar Played in Business Suits
and Travelling Dresses.
From the Mac0n Ca TeleOrdpn.

and Travelling Dresses.
From the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph
One of the most remarkable perform
ances, barring rehearsals, that was ever
given on Macon boards was that given by
Mr.. Keene and company at the Academy Of
Music last night, the play being Julius
| Casar.n
When the curtain went up for the first
time the manager made the announcement
that they were the victims of Georgia hos
pitaity in that the great crowds in Atlanta
prevented their baggage from being loaded
on the cars and the consequence was the
company was here without even a vestige OF
costume or stage property He further an
nounced that the money would be refunded
at the door to those who did not wish to re-
MAN, In compliment to Mr.. Keene the aU-
| dience, with half-dozen exceptions, re-
manned in their seats.
A case knife to be used as the dagger was
borrowed from the Stubblefied House Mr..
| Keene effected the loan of a toupee from a
Macon friend, whose name is withheld tor
prudential reasons, and the play proceeded.
Let it be said in the outset that Mr.,
Keene has a most excellent company, and
playing under such circumstances as those
of last night was as severe test as Macon
critics, or any other critics, for that
matter, could subject them to. They
gave a fine performance, each mem
Der acquitting him or herself IN
80 excellent and so faithful manner as to
almost make the audience forget that the
| costumes were at that time packed away
in the trunks. But the risibles were sorely
tempted when Marc Antony appeared in a
black business coat and a pair of pepper
and-salt pants while Brutus with his gilt
| tering watch chain looked the shoe drum
meT Sympathy was expressed for Caesar,
whose head was bald, and Decius seemed
unhappy in his old gold yachting shirt
| CHINA surely raided on somebody's trunk
| for he committed breach of good taste in
wearing black pants and light coat while
Flavius looked as though he was dressed for
spring picnic.
The loss of the baggage did not seem to
| be all of the misfortune The rain came
down in pattering sort of way upon the
roof of the Academy and made the night a
hideous one. 1t suited the second act very
well, however, and the sheet iron thunder
was in full accord with the rain on the tin roof
above. Then even the town clock seemed
TO be in the conspiracy against the play
| When the Roman clock struck the fatal
hour of 3, the signal to the conspirators
| that the time for the killing of Cesar
was drawing nigh, the city clock in the
court house adjoining the Academy was
striking nine, and the property man behind
| the scene who was engaged in the solemn
| task of tolling the three strokes, was prob
| ably unconscious of the fact that Macon
clock was struggling to get in nine strokes
| to his three. Then the orchestra was COM
| PEELED to add its mite to the general en-
| barrassment The curtain went down at
the end Of the second act for a moment to
allow Caesar time to get in a comfortable
position to die and the orchestra,
without having been previously posted,
struck up in full tune, with every man
| trying to drown the ceaseless patter on the
roof. The din of the instruments prevented
the leader from hearing the curtain bell,
| and up went the curtain showing the dead
| Caesar, and the orchestra playing the Pell
Nell medley as loud as horns and flddlers
would allow il. But to tho credit of the
orchestra be 1t said, that as soon as it Was
seen that there was death in the neighbor-
| hood, it lowered its tone as gradually as
possible until only the faintest sound of a
bar from the Boulanger March could be
heard. Finally, it ceased and Caesar died in
peace and his pin-stripe suit.
| And yet through all this the audience
paid homage to the genius of Keene by
most respectful behavior, and by genuine
applause, recalling him frequently. 1t was
| a most trying ordeal for the company, and
perhaps more trying for the ladies who
| were compelled to appear in their
| travelling costumes. Imagine 'Portia" and
| "Calphurnia" in black dresses, with pan
nier, etcl But the lack of wardrobe did
not cause them to falter or to in any way
slight their work, and the result was that
the performance in its entirety pleased the
audience. 1t is to be hoped that when Mr.
Keene again comes this way with the veter.
an Wheelock and the good company of last
night, the baggage will be on the same
| train with them.
II is probable that Mr.. Keene will sue the
railroad for damages, in that it failed to
bring down his baggage.